Wash boiler



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A. MEDLEY.

WASH BOILER No-. 490,5v5. Patented Jan. 24 1893.

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JOHN ALFERD MEDLEY, OF OOMANOHE, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERTH. O. HENDERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

WASH-BOILER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,575, dated January24, 1893.

Application filed October 11, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ALFERD MEDLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at C0- manche, in the county of Comanche and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to washing machines, particularly to that kindknown as boiler washing machines, and it has for its object to improvethe construction so as to generate steam in conical chambers locatedbeneath a false bottom and having communication through said bottom withthe lower portion of the chamber above the bottom and beneath theclothes in the boiler so that the steam generated in said conicalchambers will be injected with force against the clothes above the falsebottom and thus lift and agitate the same in order that steam generatedin. other conical chambers beneath the false bottom and rising therefromthrough vertical tubes extending through and above the clothes in theboiler and passing out through perforations in said tubes may bediffused laterally from said tubes and through the body of the clothesin the boiler as the clothes are lifted by the pressure of the steaminjected from the conical chambers opening beneath the clothes, wherebysteam is not only generated in less time and raised to a higher pressurebut is also caused to agitate the clothes and to be diffused throughoutthe body of the same, thus resultingin athorough cleansing-of theclothes.

It has also for its object to so construct the machine that a supportwill be afforded at the lower part of the boiler for the false bottomcarrying the conical steam chambersand upright perforated tubes; andfurther, to provide an arched cover for the boiler whereby the steamrising above the clothes will be caused to gather or huddle at themiddle portion of the cover around the upper ends of the perforatedtubes so that there will be a greater pressure of the steam at thatpoint than at Serial No. 448,601. (No model.)

otherpoints thereby establishing steam eddies at that point and causinga reverse or downward pressure of the steam at that point, resulting increating a greater agitation than otherwise would be the case.

It has also for its object to provide a seat for the cover at the upperend of the boiler and means for preventing the cover from being forcedsidewise out of place.

To the'a'ccomplishment of the foregoing objects, the invention consistsin the construction and combination of parts hereinafter particularlydescribed and then sought to be specifically defined by the claim,reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,and in which Figure l. is a vertical longitudinal section on the line00-00 of Fig. 2;Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line y-y ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the false bottom showing theconical steam chambers affixed thereto; and, Fig. 4 is a perspective ofthe false bottom with the conical steam chambers and perforated tubessecured thereto.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates body of the boiler whichpreferably is made of some suitable wood from the lower edge of whichdepends the pan 2 having inwardly and downwardly tapering sides andformed with shoulders 3 lying inside of the inner wall of the body 1 soas to constitute a support for the false bottom 4 which normally restson said shoulder. This false bottom has on its lower side a series ofconical chambers 5 which are 8 5 formed with perforations 6 near thelower edge of the chamber, said chambers communicating at their upperends through openings 7 with the space above the false bottom. Thepurpose .of these chambers is to receive a portion of the water whichlies in the pan 2 and to separate it from the main body of water in thepan so that it may be readily converted into steam, the converging wallsof the chambers hugging or gathering the steam toward the upper parts ofthe chambers so as to cause it to be injected with force through theopenings in the false bottom directly beneath the clothes in the body 1thereby forcing or lifting the clothes upwardly and keeping them in astate of agitation. The false bottom is further provided with conicalchambers 8 from the upper ends of which extend the ver-= tica-l tubes 9,the same being perforated and rising to a point above the top of thebody 1 as illustrated clearly in Figs. 1 aid 2 of the drawings. Theseconical chambers 8 are made larger in diameter than the chambers 6 sothat a greater volume of steam may be generated therein for the purposeof supplying the extended perforated pipes 9. By so constructing thefalse bottom with the two sets of conical chambers of differentdiameters, and with the extended perforated pipes rising above the topof the wall 1, the steam generated in the conical chambers not onlylifts the clothes and keeps them in a state of constant agitation but isalso diffused through the body of the clothes thus opened up, therebyresulting in the most thorough cleansing of the clothes in the minimumof time at the minimum expenditure of fuel and heat. If the conical chambers 6 were not employed, steam generated in the pan 2 would merelypass through the perforations in the pan into the space above, but wouldnot be injected with force sufficient to lift and open up the clothesfor action thereon of the steaminjected laterally from the uprightperforated tubes; and if the perforated tubes were employed without theconical chamber 6 the steam would notbe injected laterally to the extentand with the same result as when the clothes are opened up by the steaminjected by the conical chambers (i; but by the employment of the twotogether, each is made to contribute to the result of the other and thebest results obtained.

I provide an arched cover 10 for the body 1, the lower portion of thecover being turned inwardly to form a flange 11 to rest on top of thewall 1 and is then turned downwardly to form a lip 12 whichwilllieinside of the body I and bear against its inner face so as to prevent the cover from being moved laterally and accidentally displaced.This cover is made arched so that the steam which rises above theclothes in the body 1 will gatheror huddle at the middle portion of thecover around the upper ends of the perforated tubes 9 and at that pointbe deflected downwardly so that coming in contact with the steam issuingfrom the perforations in the upper end of the tubes 9 which extend intothe cover, there will be created eddies of steam which are deflecteddownward and thereby cause a greater agitation of the clothes within thebody 1.

Under the construction described a steam boiler of the characterspecified will be formed in which the steam will be quickly generatedwith the employment of a small quantity of fuel, and in which theclothes will be thoroughly cleansed in a short time. The construction issimple and inexpensive, durable and efficient.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is:

The combination with the body 1, of the false bottom eformed withopenings '7 and having on its under face conical chambers 5communicating with said openings and provided with conical chambers 8and perforated tubes 9 ext-ending upwardly from and communicating withsaid chambers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ALFERD MEDLEY.

\Vitnesses:

A. J. OAFFEY, FRED. GRIMM.

